1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates generally to ski boot bindings and more particularly to a binding which will provide for forward release of a boot held captive in a binding incorporating a toe piece.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
With the present day popularity of skiing, there have been many efforts to provide for safer ski bindings which will insure the safety of the skier in the event of an uncontrolled fall or encounter with an obstacle such as a tree or other skier. These efforts have led to two divergent approaches, one being the provision of a fitting on the bottom of a boot which clamps to a ski binding mechanism in effort to cause the binding mechanism to release when predetermined torques are applied thereto or even upon the application of certain longitudinal forces such as the encounter by the tips of skis with an obstacle causing the skis themselves to stop and placing the skier in the precarious position of his body continuing forward travel while his skis are stopped. The other approach has been continued efforts in the design of bindings incorporating toe pieces which receive the toe of the sole of the ski boot and lock such toe in position for release upon the application predetermined torquest to the boots itself, thus causing the toe piece to pivot to one side or another about its vertical pivot axis. These bindings are commonly referred to as cable bindings, step-in bindings and the like. It is this type of binding to which the present invention is directed. Heretofore, such bindings have suffered the shortcoming that the toe pieces release only upon application of predetermined torques to the boot, thus resulting in the unsafe situation where the binding fails to incorporate any capability of forward release upon the ski encountering an obstacle, thus applying only forward forces to the boot itself. It is in these situations that innumerable skiers suffer serious injuries each ski season.